Give this team credit.
Down by four runs in the ninth inning, they faced two Pirates relief pitchers — Kyle Crick and Richard Rodriguez — who, combined, coming into Sunday’s game had faced 77 hitters this year and allowed nine of them to reach base. That’s right, nine of 77 (two hits, five walks and a HBP), neither had allowed a run in 22u2153 innings.
The Cubs put together a tremendous comeback against that pair, with two hits, a hit batter and a walk, but came up just short when Javier Baez grounded out with the tying run in scoring position and the Cubs lost to the Pirates 6-5.